Happy over splitsville

Political parties always put a brave face on coalition pull-outs but even by those standards, Congressmen appeared unusually upbeat after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) unexpectedly pulled the rug from under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Since that move accounted for 18 members of Parliament, costing the ruling coalition its slender majority, the Congress, the largest party in the UPA, was expected to be shrouded in gloom. Instead, Congress ministers surprised everyone with their good cheer. When one reporter suggested that this was just false bravado, a minister replied. "In fact, we are now a much relieved lot. Earlier, we had to constantly worry about displeasing our allies. First, it used to be the Trinamool Congress and then the DMK. But now having shed their burden, what a relief!" The fact that the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party are likely to snap at their heels did not seem to bother him. Instead the minister added, "We'll now boldly go ahead with our reform agenda, come what may." Maybe he is seeing something others aren't.